One common complaint from consumers is that colored lip products may sometimes be drying on the lips. This is often the case when lip products contain significant amounts of pigments and powders to provide the desired color. These types of particulates can be drying on the lips. Water is believed to be the ultimate hydrator. Paradoxically, however, lip products formulated with water can be even more drying to the lips than their anhydrous counterparts. The reason for this is that water is a fairly fast drying solvent. While the water-containing lip product will provide an immediate feel of hydration when the product is applied to the lips, the water evaporates quickly. Consumers report that the lips are left feeling dryer than before the application of product.
Cosmetic formulators are constantly searching for ways to formulate water containing lip products that are as moisturizing as their standard anhydrous counterparts and the lip products commonly sold for lip treatment purposes. Water containing lipsticks that have some degree of water resistance and occlusiveness are most beneficial for creating a moisturizing film on the lips with a water based lipstick. That is, the film forming ingredients present in the composition must provide a film that will hold the water and inhibit its immediate evaporation from the film surface. In this case the water present is able to hydrate the lip. Some of the reasons a film may become disrupted include re-emulsification of the film, removal by mechanical action, or when the active (water) is not well entrapped within the film.
It has been most unexpectedly discovered that a water containing lip product having non polar oils, amphiphilic oils, and both types of surfactants (e.g. water in oil and oil in water) provide an excellent lip product that contains significant amounts of water and yet provides moisturization properties equivalent to, or better than products sold specifically for moisturizing lips.